Chips + Salsa
In order to face fear #112, fear of dancing in public, I joined some friends for an introductory salsa class in Orinda. This was my second time at the class, which is a progressive seminar taken over ten weeks. My first time ever learning to dance salsa was on class number three, so we covered the basics again (or for me, the first time) I felt like I had some sense of what to do. We started with the basic step, then the side step and then something called the cambria or calligraphy or something and then quickly jumped into the cross-body lead and then on to something else that sounded like he was just counting, making up words and laughing at me. So needless to say my first salsa experience was wrought with angst and completely devoid of rhythm.
Just when I thought I was catching up, he made everyone dance with a partner and then we rotated partners like every 3 seconds, which was not enough time for me to exchange pleasantries, dance horribly and apologize. So along with my fear of sucking at things in front of others, there was a healthy dose of social anxiety and having to touch strangers with little to no formal introduction...I would make a terrible Latino.
So the partner round robin continued and the instructor kept upping the ante, so as a rhythmless white guy with an innate desire to impress women I was not really in my element, but as a WASP who had to constantly apologize, I knew exactly what to do...So it was kind of a good-news, bad-news sort of thing. The only thing I did consistently my first class was lose count and beg for forgiveness.
So, knowing that I had agreed(ish) to continue to attend these classes I figured I would need some practice to stave off future panic attacks. I was able to weasel out of the rest of the classes for that seminar, but again agreed(ish) to start over at class one. So in the meantime I did some practicing, mostly with friends and neighborhood cats, so I had some confidence (and fleas) when I made my triumphant return to the land of salsa 8 weeks later.
Class number one (or my second attempt at salsa dancing) went much better than the first. I only apologized 47 times and didn't feel like I was at risk of having a seizure. I made it through the entire class, rotating with new partners, and more or less getting the footwork down and learning how to lead and narrowly avoiding flinging my partners into great peril. I got through all the steps and even got some compliments that made me gush and then totally lose count and flooded me anew with panic...But all in all it was a great experience and one that I will going back to next week before other Monday night commitments take over...
So if you're free next Monday and your health insurance is paid up, you can find me at class number two. Click here for more info...
And perhaps I'll see you on the dance floor or the hospital...possibly both if you're lucky!
Just when I thought I was catching up, he made everyone dance with a partner and then we rotated partners like every 3 seconds, which was not enough time for me to exchange pleasantries, dance horribly and apologize. So along with my fear of sucking at things in front of others, there was a healthy dose of social anxiety and having to touch strangers with little to no formal introduction...I would make a terrible Latino.
So the partner round robin continued and the instructor kept upping the ante, so as a rhythmless white guy with an innate desire to impress women I was not really in my element, but as a WASP who had to constantly apologize, I knew exactly what to do...So it was kind of a good-news, bad-news sort of thing. The only thing I did consistently my first class was lose count and beg for forgiveness.
So, knowing that I had agreed(ish) to continue to attend these classes I figured I would need some practice to stave off future panic attacks. I was able to weasel out of the rest of the classes for that seminar, but again agreed(ish) to start over at class one. So in the meantime I did some practicing, mostly with friends and neighborhood cats, so I had some confidence (and fleas) when I made my triumphant return to the land of salsa 8 weeks later.
Class number one (or my second attempt at salsa dancing) went much better than the first. I only apologized 47 times and didn't feel like I was at risk of having a seizure. I made it through the entire class, rotating with new partners, and more or less getting the footwork down and learning how to lead and narrowly avoiding flinging my partners into great peril. I got through all the steps and even got some compliments that made me gush and then totally lose count and flooded me anew with panic...But all in all it was a great experience and one that I will going back to next week before other Monday night commitments take over...
So if you're free next Monday and your health insurance is paid up, you can find me at class number two. Click here for more info...
And perhaps I'll see you on the dance floor or the hospital...possibly both if you're lucky!
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